Search for Jane Phoebe Bytheway
(the forgotten aunt)

The Bytheway family never talked much about our grandfather's first wife or the fact that they had a child between them.  When our aunts were confronted with the question they said that they had no knowledge.  So I started digging into the archives and discovered some very interesting facts and theories.

Records show that Edward Charles Bytheway (1867 - 1950) was first married to Margaret Ann Jones in 1888 and had a child, Jane Phoebe Bytheway, born September 10, 1891. Margaret Ann Jones died in Paintertown, PA on 2 February 1893 at the age 23 years.   Jane  started living with her Grand Parents Edward and Jane Bytheway shortly after her moms death.  When her dad remarried to May Laura Widdup in 1907 and shortly after Aunt Blanch was born in 1908, she apparently didn't get along with her new step-mom and was 4 months pregnant. She likely left the family and later married Anthony Calamari where they settled in Charleroi, Washington County, PA, about 60 miles from Saltsburg. Jane Phoebe had her first child in 1911. The following information was provided by Lauri Huffman, an expert in genealogy on 5 June 2012 and also shown at www.BythewayGenealogy.info .

MARRIAGE TRANSCRIPT # 1940

Bride & Groom

Edward Bytheway & Margaret Ann Jones

Date and Place

19 Sep 1888, Greensburg, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania.

Groom

Edward Bytheway: 21 years on 19 Jan 1888, resident of Westmoreland City, Westmoreland Co, PA, son of Edward & Jane Bytheway. Edward was born in England; occupation, miner.

Bride

Margaret Ann Jones: 19 years on 1 Sep 1888, born in England, resident of Paintertown, Westmoreland Co, PA, daughter of John & Phoebe Jones. Consent to marry given before the Justice of the Peace by her father, John Jones, residing in Penn Twp, Westmoreland County, PA, on 10 Sep 1888.

Witnesses

None listed.// Consent to marry by John Jones was witnessed by William Matthews, of Westmoreland City, and David Griffiths of Shafton.

Officiator

Rev. George B. Van Waters

Source

Marriage application and license, Orphan’s Court, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Located online at: http://westmorelandweb400.us:8088/EGSPublicAccess.htm

Provided free of charge courtesy of www.BythewayGenealogy.info.

Margaret Ann Jones died in Paintertown, PA on 2 February 1893 at the age 23 years.  A mystery is where is Margaret Ann Jones buried? Usually the Bytheway's were buried with lavish headstones in the Greensburg, PA cemetery. I remember vaguely of being told (in my teen age years) of a plague that killed Edward's first wife which might explain why the body was not disposed of in a normal way.

Edward Bytheway and Mae Laura Widdup were married 1906/1907. Mae's pregnancy with Blanche E. Bytheway (b. 1908) coincided with the conclusion Jane Phoebe ran away in 1907 at age 16. Jane was already 4 months pregnant with her own child by Anthony Calamari.   My dad, aunts and uncles demonstrated much prejudice when I was growing up and this must have been inherited from Bytheway family tree. Jane Phoebe's choice of Anthony Calamari, an olive skin Italian "Dago", probably did not set well with her dad.  I can see how a young girl like Jane Phoebe might have been dissatisfied and skipped out.

Blanche was born February 5, 1908, so Jane would have already been 4 months pregnant.  Anthony and Jane's first child, William Calamari died 6 months after being born in July 13, 1908.   Jane had three more children, Edward (b.1911), Curtis C. (b.1913) and Ethel Irene (b.1917). 

Anthony's Obituary:  Anthony Calamari, 80, of 720 McKean Ave., Charleroi, died in Brownsville General Hospital Thursday, Sept.29,1966, at 11:14 a.m. He was a retired coal miner and came to Charleroi at the age of 16 from New York City, where he was born on Sept.20,1886. He was survived by two sons, Edward of Canton, Ohio, and Curtis of Allenport ; a daughter, Mrs. Ethel Mouyard of Speers; four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Here's some of Lauri's research:

Background:  Jane Phoebe Bytheway was born 16 Sep 1891, Greensburg, Westmoreland, PA, d/o Edward Bytheway and his 1st wife, Margaret Ann Jones (b. England). Baptized 29 Mar 1893, Christ Episcopal Church, Greensburg, Westmoreland, PA.

Jane Phoebe at 31 years old gave birth to a baby boy Jan 1, 1922 and died the next day due to pneumonia. Her baby was premature baby also died the same day. Best guess was that the baby may have been induced due to complications due to pneumonia. Aunt Blanch would have been 16, Aunt Fannie 11, Aunt Peg 8, Aunt John 6 and my father Robert 5 months.

Given these events and dates our aunts and uncles probably would have never met her or known who she was. Our grandfather probably would not have talked about her either.

We also have three cousins, Edward Calamari (b.1911), Curtis Calamari (b.1913, d. 1999) and Ethel Irene Calamari (b.1917). Records show that Curtis has already died.

FamilySearch.org:
Marriage: Curtis Calamari, 21 (b. 1913), son of Anthony Calamari & Jean Bytheway, md Jane William 18, d/o Alex Williams & Ethel Dean, 3 Feb 1934, Charlerois, Washington Co, PA.

Marriage: Ethel Irene Calamari 23 (b. 1917), s/o Anthony Calamari & Jean Bytheway md Arthur Anthony Monyard 26, s/o Arthur J. Monyard & Helen Shields, 19 Apr 1940, Washington Co, PA.

Censuses:

1910 US Census,  Selwicky, Westmoreland Co, PA:

Tony Calamari, 24, md 3 yrs (1st mg), b. NY, both parents b. Italy, driver at coal mine.

Jennie Calamari, 19 (b. 1891), md 3 yrs (1st mg), 1 child born/0 living, b. PA, both parents b. PA.

 

1920 (9 Jan) US Census, 1113 McKean Ave, Charleroi, Washington Co, PA:

Anthony Calamari, 33, b. NY, both parents b. Italy, salesman at beverage company.

Jennie Calamari, 28 (1892), b. PA, both parents b. US.

Edward Calamari, 9, b. PA, father: NY, mother: PA.

Curtis Calamari, 7, b. PA, father: NY, mother: PA.

Ethel Calamari, 3, b. PA, father: NY, mother: PA.

 

1930 US Census, 717 (rear) Meadow Ave, Charleroi, Washington Co, PA:

Anthony Callamari, 43, married (age 20 at 1st mg), b. NY, both parents b. Italy, miner.

(mother not in the household)

Curtis Callamari, 17, factory boy at glass plant, b. PA, father: NY, mother: PA.

Ethel Callamari, 13, b. PA, father: NY, mother: PA.

 

1930 US Census, 195 West Noble St, Hazleton, Luzerne Co, PA:

Jennie “Caliari”, 39, widow, (age 16 at 1st mg), b. PA, father: PA, mother: England

                Jennie is boarding with Carmen Morelli.

Conclusions by Lauri Huffman:
Jane was probably known as Jennie, which is a nickname for Jane in England. She ran away in 1907, marrying Anthony Calamari, probably in a Catholic Church. They had one child within the first 3 years, which died, name unknown (see 1910 census). They had three more children: Edward, Curtis & Ethel Irene. By 1930, something had apparently gone wrong in the marriage. Although Anthony declares he is married, Jennie calls herself a widow and is not living at home. Whether the misspelling of Calamari (as Caliari) is intentional is unknown. When the children married in 1934 and 1940 respectively, their mother’s name was given as Jean Bytheway. This may be a poorly written ‘Jane’, or an incorrect extraction, but without the original we can’t be sure. We also do not know whether or not she was living with Anthony again by this time. The completion of the 1940 census for Pennsylvania will be invaluable in continuing this search.

The best way to know more at this point would be to locate descendants of Curtis or Ethel, or do some ‘on the ground’ research in Charleroi, Washington County, Pennsylvania.